Birds of Prey Stamps – A Tribute to America’s Powerful Raptors
The U.S. Postal Service celebrates some of the most impressive hunters in the bird world with its Birds of Prey stamp issue. The collection features five distinctive raptors: the northern goshawk, peregrine falcon, golden eagle, osprey, and northern harrier.
Each stamp presents a close-up artistic portrait of one of these remarkable birds. Rather than showing the birds in flight or within their natural surroundings, the artwork focuses on their heads and upper bodies, allowing their distinctive features and expressions to stand out against a clean white background.
Raptors are found in a remarkable variety of environments around the world. With the exception of Antarctica, birds of prey inhabit every continent and include approximately 500 different species. The group encompasses well-known daytime hunters such as eagles, falcons, hawks, and harriers, as well as nocturnal predators such as owls.
Although these birds vary considerably in appearance and behavior, they have several traits in common. They are predators that rely primarily on meat for food and use strong, sharply curved talons to seize their prey. Their exceptional vision is another defining advantage, enabling them to identify and track relatively small targets from considerable distances.
Beyond their impressive hunting abilities, raptors are an important part of natural ecosystems. Positioned near the top of many food chains, they help regulate populations of other animals and contribute to the overall balance of the environments in which they live.
The stamp artwork was created by American wildlife artist Robert Giusti, who collaborated with art director Howard E. Paine for the USPS issuance. Giusti produced the original paintings using acrylic on canvas board, giving each portrait a detailed and colorful appearance.
The 85-cent Birds of Prey stamps were issued in convenient self-adhesive sheets containing 20 stamps. A complete sheet was priced at $17.00. The stamps were intended for heavier single-piece First-Class Mail, covering letters and other qualifying pieces weighing more than 2 ounces and up to 3 ounces.
With its combination of wildlife artwork, postal history, and collectible appeal, the Birds of Prey issue offers an interesting look at five highly specialized aerial predators while also highlighting their role in the natural world.
